1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector used in a portable electronic device for connecting it with a battery received in the device.
2. Description of prior art
A battery connector used in a mobile phone or other portable apparatus typically comprises resilient electrical terminals that protrude beyond a mating face of a housing of the connector within which they are mounted. These terminals are biased into the housing when a battery is mounted in the apparatus and electrically connecting with the battery connector.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,113,440 discloses a battery connector retaining terminals in a housing thereof. The terminals project beyond a mating face of the housing to couple with complementary contacts. Each terminal forms a pair of downwardly extending tabs for being soldered to a printed circuit board (PCB). However, the tabs are too small to ensure a reliable secure soldering joint between the terminal and the PCB. The soldering joints between the terminals and the PCB may break down after a period of use of the connector, resulting in an unreliable connection between the battery and an apparatus incorporating the connector.
PCT International Publication No. WO 97/45900 discloses a battery connector adopted to connect a portable phone with a rechargeable battery. In this prior art reference, each terminal forms three branches at a distal end thereof. A middle branch is bent downwardly for being soldered on a printed circuit board, while the others are bent upwardly to extend into cavities of a housing of the conventional connector for retaining the terminal in the housing. However, the terminals of the connector employed by a portable phone are so tiny that it is difficult to form the three branches on each of the terminals. The branches are also too tiny to be securely retained in the housing.
Hence, an improved battery connector is requisite to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.
A main object of the present invention is to provide a battery connector which has terminals securely retained therein.
A battery connector in accordance with the present invention comprises a plurality of connector blocks each comprising an insulative housing and a resilient terminal received therein. The insulative housing has a mating face, a mounting face, opposite sidewalls and a pair of slabs. An interior chamber is defined in the housing and through the mating face and the mounting face. Each sidewall and a corresponding slab define a passageway therebetween. A pair of apertures is defined through the sidewalls communicating with the passageways.
The resilient terminal is received in the interior chamber and includes a fixing portion, a contact portion and a resilient portion connecting the fixing portion and the contact portion.
The fixing portion comprises a base section. A pair of limbs extends from the base section to engage respectively with corresponding passageways for locating the terminal in the housing. A pair of protrusions projects from the limbs to engage with the apertures, thereby securely retaining the terminal in the housing. The resilient portion extends upwardly from the fixing portion. The contact portion protrudes beyond the mating face to engage a terminal of a rechargeable battery.